Embrace the Evil
by Simply Rexene
Summary: A single spotlight clicked on, revealing a terrified looking man standing on the stage. His hair was red as an apple, his skin pale as a ghost. But what had the audience gasping in horror were the pitch black horns protruding from his head, large and curved back almost like a ram's horns. Axel Lucian was "the Demon," and he was the freakshow's epic finale.


**Embrace the Evil**

 _Chapter I_

...

 _Think... Think, Roxas. C_ _'mon, you know this. All of the clues are there, just put them together..._

"Fuck!" I exclaimed, banging my fist down on my desk and sending my pen flying across my office. I had no idea how to win this case, and I was due in court next week.

My eyes shifted to the clock on the wall and I suddenly felt the urge to bash my head into my desk repeatedly. How had three hours passed since everybody else left for the day?

When my cellphone started vibrating violently, I snatched it up angrily and seethed into the reciever, " _What_?"

"Where the hell are you, Roxas?"

"I'm at work, where the hell are you?" I quipped sarcastically, rolling my eyes.

"Sitting in your driveway! Get your ass home before I come down to your office and kick it here!"

I growled in irritation, "Fine..."

"You totally forgot, didn't you?"

"Forgot _what_ , Hayner?"

He mumbled something under his breath that I didn't catch before huffing loudly into the phone, "Roxas, remember how I won those tickets to the Carnival of Horrors?"

"...Yeah, I guess?" I recalled, wondering what it had to do with the conversation.

"It's _tonight_ ," his voice was tinged with anger, "I thought you were coming with me!"

I raised an eyebrow, "I thought you were taking Olette."

"Nah... She says that kind of stuff freaks her out. But get this-they have a guy that has gills. Gills, Roxas! How sweet is that?!"

"Probably not too sweet for the poor bastard that has to live in a pool..." I muttered, shoving all of my papers into my briefcase and grabbing my suit jacket. "I'll be there in ten. When does this thing start?"

"Well, the carnival itself is open most of the night, but the freakshow is what I really want to see. It starts at nine, so we gotta hurry."

I thought for a moment, "Are freakshows even legal anymore...?"

"They must be, 'cause this one is super famous. Now get home!"

The link clicked dead and I paused for a moment to look at myself in the mirror hanging on the wall. To be frank, I looked like shit. My hair was all slicked down with gel in a "business cut" and my eyes had super dark circles under them. What the hell had happened to me? Back in college, I would have killed to go out with Hayner every night and just fuck around. Now he couldn't get me out of my office without a threat or two.

You'd never know Hayner and I were best friends looking at us side by side. I was the stuffy lawyer... The one who always wore a plain grey suit no matter what and who never stepped out of line. He was the hot bartender who always had women crawling all over him. His hair was blond like mine, but he always spiked it up all crazy like I used to once upon a time. And he was always wearing jeans, a tshirt and an open vest. Casual. He was casual, and I wasn't.

Even our cars were polar opposites. I drove a shiny black Cadillac, while Hayner drove some 1960s classic muscle car. And damn was that car his life. Even though it was old enough to be considered an antique, I swear it drove better than most cars on the market today. I don't even want to know how much money he's put into that thing, but I suppose that's just me thinking practically again.

The minute I pulled into the driveway of my little white house, I knew I was in deep shit with Hayner. He was leaning against the hood of his car with his arms crossed and an eyebrow raised, tapping his foot impatiently.

"Hey, man..." I mumbled sheepishly as I approached him, briefcase in hand.

"What the hell, Roxas? I thought you were done pulling these all-nighters at the office. We had that intervention for a reason," he shifted his weight back onto both feet and stared at me, waiting for an excuse.

I just sighed, knowing that this was a fight I wouldn't win, "I just can't figure out how to win this case..."

"It's always another case..." he shook his head, "Go change out of the monkey suit so we don't miss the show. I'll finish reaming you out in the car."

I ran upstairs to my bedroom and threw on a pair of jeans and a Batman hoodie with my old beat-up Converse from college. It didn't feel right to me to be leaving the house in anything but a suit, but I knew that this was more appropriate for a carnival. As a last measure for comfort before I went back out to the car, I mussed up my hair a little bit in the mirror.

"Now see? There's the Roxas I remember," Hayner grinned as I climbed into the passenger's seat of his car.

"I feel strange..." I muttered, my stomach flipping a little as he peeled out of the driveway quickly. His driving was... mildly terrifying, but I knew deep down that he wouldn't do anything stupid enough to put his car in danger.

Hayner snorted, "You're fucking weird, man. I could kick it in a hoodie all day every day."

"...You kinda do, Hayner," I pointed out, checking my wallet to make sure I had some cash. Chances were, I'd need a drink or two to make it through the night.

"So apparently this carnival travels all over the world. They've got a ton of super weird stuff that's supposed to blow our minds or something."

I looked over at him, "I'm still not sure about this whole thing. I don't take much joy staring at people who just happen to be a little different."

"Well they wouldn't be in the freakshow if they weren't proud of who they were," he countered, "Maybe they just think of it like being awesome and famous."

"I hope so. I saw part of last season's American Horror Story and all of the 'freaks' got treated like shit..."

He rolled his eyes, "That took place in a different time, Roxas. There's no way they'd let this carnival travel everywhere if anything bad was going on."

"Whatever you say..." I turned my head to stare out the window as he merged onto the freeway. It was amazing what people could get away with if they were cunning enough.

When he pulled into the fairgrounds the entire lot was packed with cars. It took us ten minutes just to find a spot, and then another fifteen just to walk all the way up to the ticket booth.

"Welcome to Xemnas' Carnival of Horrors..." a laid-back looking teenager popped his gum as he flipped a page in the book he was engrossed in. A small nametag pinned to his black polo shirt read "Zexion."

"Hi, I won two tickets to the freakshow in a radio contest," Hayner told the kid, handing over the tickets.

The teen quirked an eyebrow, "If you've already got tickets, why are you at the ticket booth? Take these to Luxord over at the big top."

Hayner snatched them back, sneering at the snarky kid, "Which one is he?"

"...The tall blond British guy taking tickets?"

I grabbed Hayner in an attempt to stop him from telling the kid off, throwing him a smile, "Thanks for the directions, have a nice night."

"Lemme go!" he grumbled, snatching his arm away from me and heading towards the big top, "That kid was a jerk..."

"Well I'm sure this isn't his favorite way to spend time," I reminded him, understanding that while I loved to work, most of the general population didn't.

We stood in line for a few minutes behind dozens of other people all waiting to see the freakshow while the rest of the carnival was in full swing around us. Rides were humming and whirring, games were ringing and carnies were singing. The scent of carnival food hung heavy in the air, accompanied by the acrid smell of vomit and waste. I hadn't even gone to the county fair since I was a kid, so this was certainly a nostalgic experience for me.

"Tickets," the man I assumed to be Luxord locked eyes on us, speaking with a British accent.

"Here ya go, for the two of us," Hayner handed them over, motioning to me.

Luxord smirked slightly, "You two certainly make an interesting couple, eh?"

"We're not a couple!" I exclaimed, perhaps a bit too loudly.

"Right... Enjoy the show," he chuckled lowly, handing our ticket stubs back to us.

Hayner just rolled his eyes, dragging me into the tent and scanning for a couple seats together. We found some in one of the middle rows, but when I looked at my watch we still had a few minutes before the show would start. "I'm gonna go grab a beer, you want one?"

"Sure," he said, shoving a five into my hand, "I'll save your seat."

"Guard it with your life," I joked, crawling back over the other people in our row before heading back out to the food stands. They only gave out beer in plastic cups, which made me wonder if they had problems with people throwing things at the entertainers. But I grabbed us each a red solo cup of beer and headed back into the tend just as the show was about to begin.

"Ladies and gentlemen," a tall man with hair as white as snow stepped onto the stage dressed as a classic ringleader, "Prepare to be amazed and amused, shocked and horrified. I welcome you to the Carnival... Of Horrors..." he ended dramatically, stepping aside as the first act made their way on stage.

The first act was a super blonde knife thrower by the name of Larxene, targeting some poor soul as he spun on a wheel. Typical amusement for a carnival show, but not very freaky. The next was a strongman named Lexaeus who could lift ungodly amounts of weight.

Then they brought some small raven-haired girl onto the stage dressed in gypsy garb claiming to be a fortune teller. Hayner almost lost his shit when she asked for a volunteer from the audience, but I could tell she was full of it. I had to be able to tell when people were lying. It was part of my job.

Next up was the typical magician... Though he seemed more like a scientist trying to impersonate one, honestly. I believe his name was Vexen, and I wasn't too impressed by his act. All he was doing was mixing a bunch of chemicals and showing how they react to each other in cool ways. I wouldn't really call it magic.

I quickly figured out that they'd been saving the best for last, because the next person to grace the stage was quite the conundrum. They called it Marluxia, and I only said "it" because I couldn't for the life of me tell if it was a female or male. But that mystery became quickly solved as the person dropped their robe, revealing a set of perky breasts and a giant dick hanging between his legs, only covered by a sheer lingerie nightgown. No wonder there were no children here...

"That's correct, ladies and gents! Marluxia here is a hermaphrodite, though he does choose to live his life as a male," Xemnas narrated as he danced around on stage provocatively.

"Weak! Show us the good stuff!" a belligerent audience member called.

"Bring out the Siren!" another parroted.

Xemnas grinned, "So, you'd like to see the Siren, eh? Lexaeus, bring out Demyx!"

I had a feeling that this was the man Hayner spoke of, the one with gills. My suspicions were confirmed when the strongman dragged out a large glass tank full of water on wheels that contained a gorgeous young man.

"Demyx here was born with a set of gills and no way to breathe on land," Xemnas explained as the blond inside the tank waved to everyone with a grin. "And he also was born with a gift. Care to share it with us, Dem?"

The audience oohed and ahhed as he popped his head above the water, "Why I'd love to, Xemnas," he vamped, seeming to just eat up the attention.

I realized why they called him the "Siren" the moment he began his song. His voice was absolutely angelic, and the song he sang was in an amazing dialect that I'd never heard before. It had the audience roaring in applause when he finished, but none of this really seemed "horrifying" to me. This _was_ a carnival of horrors, right?

"Ladies and gentlemen, you're going to want to say your prayers and take out your rosaries," Xemnas lowered his voice as they took Demyx off the stage, "Because our last act of the night will have you running for the nearest church and begging God to forgive you for your sins."

I snorted a little. What bullshit were they about to shove down our throats now?

I nearly jumped out of my skin when suddenly all of the lights went out at once. "From the depths of hell, from the loins of the devil himself, an abomination unto God..." Xemnas' voice crept over the loudspeakers in an eerie tone, "Tonight, before your own eyes stands a servant to Satan... A demon... Axel Lucian."

A single spotlight clicked on, revealing a terrified looking man standing on the stage. His hair was red as an apple, his skin pale as a ghost. But what had the audience gasping in horror were the pitch black horns protruding from his head, large and curved back almost like a ram's horns. His fingernails were black and pointed into claws and his eyes shone the brightest, most venemous green I've ever seen.

"Holy fuck..." Hayner whispered as a shocked silence fell over the audience. It seemed as if nobody knew how to handle his appearance.

He took a step forward on the stage and the audience freaked out as if he was going to attack them or something.

"Now, now, Axel... No need to scare them. Not before you show them your act," Xemnas said as the lights came back up and revealed Vexen holding a set of about six torches that he was dipping in a fluid that I assumed was flammable. Not to my surprise, he started to light them on fire one by one and toss them Axel's way.

Vampy music began to play as Axel started to juggle the torches quite nimbly, the flames never touching his skin. He remained silent the entire time, never once smiling or even acknowledging the audience at all. It was almost as if he was a mere trained monkey, doing as he was told and nothing more. My heart hurt for him a little bit... I could tell that this wasn't the life he wanted.

I gasped along with the rest of them as he suddenly popped one of the lit torches right into his mouth, extinguishing them one by one and catching the burnt out torches in his right hand. So he was a fire eater as well...

The audience came to a loud roar as he took an unsteady bow, signaling that his act was over. I even joined them in a standing ovation, pretty impressed by his abilities.

But suddenly a blunt object came soaring out of the crowd onstage, hitting Axel square in the chest before clattering to the floor. He reeled back a few feet with a shocked look on his face while the same audience member that threw it started to scream, "The devil! The devil is among us! We must exterminate him from our presence and send him back to hell!"

The crowd fell silent and merely watched as the man crawled on stage and dragged Axel to the front for everybody to see, gripping him hard around his wrist, "This man does not deserve to walk this Earth! Every moment he is allowed to breathe, we are at his mercy and the mercy of his army of death!"

I couldn't believe this guy. Axel clearly wasn't a real demon. Half of that shit was probably just makeup and special effects. But the proclaimed "devil" just remained in a shocked silence as he was belittled on stage.

"I say we purge the Earth of this abomination! Who's with me?!"

Half the crowd began to yell in agreement, people starting to rush the stage as the man began to savagely beat Axel right in front of us.

"Hayner, this is bullshit! How could they do this to him?!" I exclaimed, every fibre of my being wanting to help him. But what could a scrawny lawyer do?

A collective gasp rang as suddenly Axel turned on him, using his rippling muscles to knock the man flat on his ass. He ripped and tore at the man with his nails, the entire time just looking terrified for his life. Finally Xemnas ordered the strongman to step in, who pulled Axel from the man and kept the rest of the crowd at bay.

Everybody was screaming that he was evil, that he was a murderer, that he'd tried to kill the man. But all I saw was a scared man trying to defend his life.

"Show's over, everybody! We've got an ambulance and the police on the way!" Xemnas' voice came over the loudspeakers, "Please clear the tent and give this man some room!"

People started to run for it, obviously not wanting to have to deal with the police when they showed up. I could already see what was about to happen; Axel would get thrown in prison for the rest of his life without a second thought.

I wasn't sure what exactly I planned on doing, but my feet were taking me onto the stage through the screaming crowd and bringing me up to Xemnas. "Sir... Is Axel going to have any representation in court?" I yelled over the noise.

"What the hell are you talking about, kid?!"

"When this case goes to court! I can assume that the patron is going to be accusing Axel of attempted murder, in which case he's going to need a lawyer!" I told him, my heart pounding in my chest.

He just threw me a confused look, "I don't have the money for this to go to trial, and neither does he. Now please leave the tent!"

"But Sir, if this case doesn't get a trial, Axel is going to be sent to jail!"

"So? I'll make Demyx the headliner. Big deal," he shrugged.

I huffed and marched past him to where Lexaeus was holding Axel and knelt down beside the redhead, "Axel? My name is Roxas, and with your permission, I'd like to represent you in court for this. Pro bono, of course."

The man just blinked at me, not seeming like he understood a word I was saying.

"The guy doesn't really talk much, you see?" Lexaeus told me, "You gotta break it down real good for him."

"Okay... Let me try again. I'm going to keep you out of jail, Axel. The man that hurt you is going to try and have you arrested, and you'll need my help. But you won't have to pay for it, okay?"

This time he seemed to comprehend more of it, because he nodded slowly in agreement.

"What're you, some kinda fancy lawyer?" the strongman asked, furrowing his heavy brow.

"That's exactly what I am. Roxas St. James at your service," I extended a hand to Lexaeus who nearly broke it with his grip, and then to Axel who just stared at it with a confused look.

"It's okay, you don't need to talk to me," I told him, "But I do need you to trust me, okay?"

He didn't seem too keen on that, but Lexaeus at least seemed to understand, "Roxas here is our friend, okay? You treat him nice."

Axel nodded again to show that he understood, looking up at me with absolute terror in his eyes. But when I smiled at him, some of that fear seemed to disappear and for just a moment, I think he truly believe that I was there to help.

...

 **A/N:** Guys, you have no idea how excited I am to be writing this story. The idea hit me on my drive home from work yesterday when I was listening to the song "Embrace the Evil" and I just couldn't wait to get it started. NO, this story is not inspired by or related to American Horror Story in ANY WAY. I just mentioned it in there was a joke. This story is completely separate and irrelevant from that show.

Anyways, let me know if you guys are as excited as I am to see where this goes! :D I'd love some reviews on the first chapter.

Love always,

 _Simply Rexene_


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